Umbrella

The present invention relates to a field of umbrellas, and in particular to an umbrella in smaller package.

As a kind of outdoor leisure items, umbrellas are widely applied in squares, beaches, parks, gardens or similar places to shield an individual from sun. Most of the existing umbrellas comprise a column, a plurality of rods, nests and an umbrella canopy, wherein a crank handle assembly is arranged on the column, and the umbrella canopy is supported by a number of rods when in use, so as to achieve a shading effect.

Since the crank handle assembly is arranged on the column, the rods will be resisted by a lower nest and the crank handle assembly, so that the size is large, and a cost for packaging and transportation is increased sharply.

At present, many three-fold umbrellas and four-fold umbrellas are sold in the market. Those kinds of umbrellas are reduced in size by folding rods so that they are convenient to carry. However, such folding umbrellas are small umbrellas and cannot be used as large outdoor umbrellas.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an umbrella in smaller package, which is simple and reasonable in structure, greatly reduced in size and reduces the packaging cost.

For achieving the above object, the umbrella comprises a column having a middle portion; an upper nest; a lower nest; a plurality of long rods each having a middle portion; a plurality of short rods each having a first end and a second end; a crank handle assembly disposed on the middle portion of the column; wherein, the lower nest has a plurality of first long rod grooves on a periphery of the lower nest for receiving the plurality of long rods when the umbrella is folded; the crank handle assembly comprises a housing and a crank handle, correspondingly, the housing has a plurality of second long rod grooves vertically distributed on an outer surface of the housing for receiving the plurality of long rods when the umbrella is folded.

Preferably, the lower nest has a plurality of short rod grooves distributed at regular intervals on the periphery of the lower nest; the first end of each short rod is located inside one corresponding short rod groove and is rotatably connected to the lower nest, the second end of each short rod is hinged to the middle portion of one corresponding long rod; and each first long rod groove is disposed between two adjacent short rod grooves.

Preferably, each first long rod groove has an opening end and an inner end, a width of the opening end of each first long rod groove is greater than a width of the inner end of each first long rod groove.

Preferably, the cross section of each first long rod groove is U-shaped or V-shaped. Of course, the cross section of each first long rod groove may also have other shape.

Preferably, the housing is sleeved outside the column, and the crank handle in L-shaped is disposed on the outer surface of the housing.

Preferably, a cross-sectional shape of each second long rod groove is adapted to that of each long rod, a position of each second long rod groove corresponding to each first long rod groove of the lower nest, and the number of the second long rod grooves is the same as the number of the long rods.

Preferably, each second long rod groove is arch-shaped with a width for receiving two long rods, and the number of the second grooves is half of the number of the long rods.

Preferably, the housing has a plurality of arc-shaped stripes vertically arranged at regular intervals on the outer surface of the housing, and arc-shaped grooves are defined between two adjacent two arc-shaped stripes; the housing has a plurality of partition bars each vertically distributed inside one arc-shaped groove to divide the corresponding arc-shaped groove into two second grooves, so that one arc-shaped groove is capable of receiving two long rods, and the number of the arc-shaped grooves is half of the number of the long rods.

Preferably, both long rod and short rod are hollow square or rectangular tubes; each long rod has a connecting hole on the middle portion of the long rod, the second end of each short rod is hinged to the middle portion of a corresponding long rod through a connecting piece mounted in the connecting hole.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages. Since the lower nest and the housing of the crank handle assembly has first long rod grooves and second long rod grooves, respectively, when the umbrella is folded, each long rod is located inside the corresponding groove. Therefore, the packaging size is greatly reduced. Moreover, the crank handle is in L-shaped to prevent from being resisted against the long rods, so that the packaging size is reduced. The umbrella of the present invention is simple and reasonable in structure, greatly reduced in size and convenience to store and carry, and reduces the cost for packaging and transportation.

The present invention will be further described below in detail by embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

show a first preferred embodiment of an umbrella of the present invention. The umbrella comprises a columnhaving a middle portion; an upper nest; a lower nest; a plurality of long rodseach having a middle portion; a plurality of short rodseach having a first end and a second end; a crank handle assembly A disposed on the middle portion of the column; wherein, the lower nesthas a plurality of first long rod grooveson a periphery of the lower nestfor receiving the plurality of long rodswhen the umbrella is folded; the crank handle assembly A comprises a housingand a crank handle, correspondingly, the housinghas a plurality of second long rod groovesvertically distributed on an outer surface of the housingfor receiving the plurality of long rodswhen the umbrella is folded.

Specifically, the lower nesthas a plurality of short rod groovesdistributed at regular intervals on the periphery of the lower nest; both long rodand the short rodare hollow square or rectangular tubes; each long rodhas a connecting hole on the middle portion of the long rod, the second end of each short rodis hinged to the middle portion of a corresponding long rodthrough a connecting piece mounted in the connecting hole, providing a room for mounting the plurality of the rods. In this embodiment, the number of the long rodsand the first long rod groovesare both eight. Each first long rod grooveis disposed between two adjacent short rod grooves. The cross section of each first long rod grooveis U-shaped or V-shaped, and each first long rod groovehas an opening end and an inner end, a width of the opening end of each first long rod grooveis greater than a width of the inner end of each first long rod groove. Of course, the cross section of each first long rod groovemay also have other reasonable shape as long as the cross section can be adapted to each long rod. The number of the first long rod grooveis the same as that of the long rod. The housingis cylindrical-shaped with a large-diameter upper end and a small-diameter lower end, the housingis fixed on the column, and the number of the second long rod groovecorresponding to the first long rod grooveof the lower nestis eight. Generally, the position of the first long rod grooveis almost in a line with the position of the corresponding second long rod groove. The cross section of an upper end of the second long rod grooveis in arc-shaped, the depth of the upper end of the second long rod groovesis larger than that of the lower end of the second long rod grooves, and the width of the upper end of the second long rod groovesis larger than that of the lower end of the second long rod grooves. The crank handleis disposed on the outer surface of the housing, and the crank handleis in L-shaped to prevent from being resisted against the long rodswhen the umbrella is folded. Of course, the cross section of the upper end of each second long rod groovemay also have other reasonable shape as long as the cross section can be adapted to each long rod.

Thus, when the umbrella is folded, each long rodis exactly located inside the corresponding first long rod grooveon the lower nestand the corresponding second long rod grooveon the housing, so that the packaging size of the umbrella is greatly reduced.

show a second preferred embodiment of an umbrella of the present invention. The umbrella in this embodiment differs from that in Embodiment 1 in the housingof the crank handle assembly A. In this embodiment, the two second long rod grooveson the housingin Embodiment 1 are combined into one second long rod groovein Embodiment 2. Each second long rod grooveis arch-shaped with a width for receiving two long rods, and the number of the second groovesis four, which is half of the number of the long rods.

When the umbrella is folded, two long rodsare located inside one second long rod groove, so that the packaging size of the umbrella is greatly reduced.

show a third preferred embodiment of an umbrella of the present invention. The umbrella in this embodiment differs from that in Embodiment 1 in the housingof the crank handle assembly A. In this embodiment, the housinghas a plurality of arc-shaped stripesvertically arranged at regular intervals on the outer surface of the housing, and arc-shaped groovesare defined between two adjacent two arc-shaped stripes; the housinghas a plurality of partition barseach vertically distributed inside one arc-shaped grooveto divide the corresponding arc-shaped grooveinto two second grooves, so that one arc-shaped grooveis capable of receiving two long rods.

When the umbrella is folded, two long rodsare located inside corresponding arc-shaped groove, so that the packaging size of the umbrella is greatly reduced.

The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to each embodiment described in this description. Any changes and replacements made on the basis of the scope of the present invention patent and of the description shall be included in the scope of the present invention patent.